Cheltenham Festival 2023: Schedule & Big Race Preview

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National Hunt horse racing takes centre stage during March, with the prestigious Cheltenham Festival scheduled to take place at the Gloucestershire racetrack.

The four-day meeting provides punters with a host of betting opportunities and is an event that fans of the sport start planning for months in advance.

Many people have already placed Cheltenham bets in the ante-post markets, and there will be many more wagers taken when the action gets underway.

With that in mind, we look at the schedule for the showpiece event, before assessing the four big races due to be staged on each day.

Cheltenham Festival 2023 Schedule

Tuesday, March 14

• 1.30 – Supreme Novices’ Hurdle (2m 1/2f)
• 2.10 – Racing Post Arkle Challenge Trophy Steeple Chase (2m)
• 2.50 – Ultima Handicap Chase (3m 1/2f)
• 3.30 – Champion Hurdle Challenge Trophy (2m 1/2f)
• 4.10 – Mares’ Hurdle (for the David Nicholson Trophy) (2m 4f)
• 4.50 – Close Brothers Novices’ Handicap Chase (2m 4 1/2 f)
• 5.30 – National Hunt Challenge Cup Chase (4m)

Wednesday, March 15

• 1.30 – Ballymore Novices’ Hurdle (2m 5f)
• 2.10 – RSA Steeple Chase (3m 1/2f)
• 2.50 – Coral Cup Handicap Hurdle (2m 5f)
• 3.30 – Queen Mother Champion Steeple Chase (2m)
• 4.10 – Glenfarclas Cross Country Handicap Chase (3m 7f)
• 4.50 – Fred Winter Juvenile Handicap Hurdle (2m 1/2f)
• 5.30 – Weatherbys Champion Bumper (Open NH Flat Race) (2m 1/2f)

Thursday, March 16

• 1.30 – Marsh Novices’ Steeple Chase (2m 5f)
• 2.10 – Pertemps Final (Handicap Hurdle) (3m)
• 2.50 – Ryanair Chase (2m 5f)
• 3.30 – Stayers’ Hurdle (3m)
• 4.10 – Craft Irish Whiskey Co Plate Handicap Chase (2m 5f)
• 4.50 – Mares’ Novices Hurdle (2m2f)
• 5.30 – Fulke Walwyn Kim Muir Challenge Cup Handicap Steeple Chase (3m 1 1/2f)


Friday, March 17

• 1.30 – JCB Triumph Hurdle (2m 1f)
• 2.10 – Randox Health County Handicap Hurdle (2m 1f)
• 2.50 – Albert Bartlett Novices’ Hurdle (3m)
• 3.30 – Magners Cheltenham Gold Cup Steeple Chase (3m 2 1/2f)
• 4.10 – Foxhunter Steeple Chase (3m 2 1/2f)
• 4.50 – Johnny Henderson Grand Annual Steeple Chase (2m 1/2f)
• 5.30 – Martin Pipe Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle (2m 4 1/2f)

Cheltenham Festival 2023 Big Race Preview

There are 14 Grade 1 events run at the Festival, but four stand head and shoulders above the test in terms of their overall prestige.

The Champion Hurdle is the headline event on Day One, and this year’s race includes one horse who has been tipped to become a superstar.

Constitution Hill roared home in last year’s Supreme Novices’ Hurdle and is impossible to oppose in his bid to record another Festival win.

The Nicky Henderson-trained horse has mopped up two Grade 1 races at Newcastle and Kempton Park this term and is strongly fancied to become the champion two-mile hurdler.

The top two-mile chasers take centre stage on the second day in the latest edition of the Queen Mother Champion Chase.

Energumene will return to defend the title he claimed so impressively last year, but may find it difficult to fend off the challenge presented by Edwardstone.

The 2022 Arkle Chase winner finished ahead of his rival on Cheltenham Festival Trials Day in January and looks a good bet to repeat the trick in the Champion Chase.

The Stayers’ Hurdle on the Thursday looks extremely competitive, but rising Irish star Teahupoo is fancied to run well following his recent victory at Gowran Park.

The Cheltenham Gold Cup is the highlight of the final day and the Paul Nicholls’ trained Bravemansgame could upset hot favourite Galopin Des Champs.

Nicholls has been bullish about the 2022 King George VI Chase winner’s chances and he looks guaranteed to run a big race at Cheltenham.

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